Yang Hi's
by Miss I-Like-Too-Many-Fandoms
Summary: Toph and Lin stumble upon delicatessen heaven.


**Avatar: The Last Airbender and Legend of Korra belong to Nickelodeon and Mike and Bryan.**

"I'll catch you dunderheads later." Toph smirked as she headed towards the front doors of the station with various goodbyes called out to her by her officers, all ending with her title, chief. She met a few at the door, the veterans nodding and a couple of rookies saluting.

"Give Lin our best, Chief." Toph smiled at the tallest of the quartet in front of her.

"I always do, Zhang." The captain smiled and dragged one of the rookies off with him, the kid staring back in fear at the former Blind Bandit as he was pulled out of view.

"When's the next time you're bringing her around, Chief?" Toph patted the helmet of the remaining rookie, one of her favorites.

"Maybe next week if you all behave, Dao." The tiny officer grinned before rushing off with the rest of the group, calling back over his should just before he was out of the room.

"Have a good evening, Chief!" Toph waved once before finally exiting the station. The streets were crowded as people rushed toward home, picking up easy dinners or doing some quick mid-week shopping. The hustle and bustle was not much of a hassle for Toph, whose familiar form easily cleared a comfortable path. There were few who wished to bump into the hero of the Hundred Years War. With the wide berth and her long, confident strides, it was not long before Toph found herself at the docks, awaiting the ferry to Air Temple Island.

Toph tapped her feet a bit nervously, hating the wood beneath her feet and the steel that would be beneath her feet. The earth bender was not kept waiting long however, the clock in Central City Station chiming the fourth hour when the ferryman called out. Toph was a familiar figure at the docks and he knew well the discomfort and the difficulty his ferry caused the blind bender.

The ride was quick and silent, Toph staying near to the end of the ferry, her fingers wrapped around the railing. With practiced ease, Toph disembarked, finally touching solid ground. She had not gone far from the docks when she encountered Katara, whose curiosity had been piqued by the sight of the ferry heading toward the island.

"Toph! You're early. How are you?"

"Good. It's alright that I'm early, right? I'm not going to interrupt a lesson?"

"Oh, no. The tutors leave at one. At this age, its better for them to play than be stuck in a classroom. The last time I checked, they were by the training gates." The women began to walk towards the center of the island.

"Where's Mr. Katara?" The water bender laughed at her friend, though Toph could detect some strain.

"He left for city hall not ten minutes ago. Apparently two of the representatives got into a spat that required the Avatar's attention." Toph shook her head, nudging her friend with her shoulder.

"One day they'll learn how to fend for themselves."

"Hopefully." The duo turned a corner and found themselves baffled.

"Why do I have to be in the middle?" Five year old Tenzin cried, switching between siblings to glare at. Kya stood directly in front of him, several feet off while Bumi with Lin beside him stood about the same distance behind. Kya held a handmade ball the color of Air Nomad tattoos.

"Because you're the youngest." Bumi yelled back with a lopsided grin, his hair all over the place.

"I am not! Lin is a year younger than me!" This stumped Bumi for a moment, but Kya stepped in.

"Lin is a guest, Tenzin, and we're clearly playing based on hair length." Kya grinned before tossing the ball, which arced way over Tenzin's outstretched hands and was caught easily by Bumi. Tenzin dropped his hands to his head, rubbing the smooth skin mournfully.

"Why is Baldy Jr. bald again?" Toph turned expectantly toward Katara, ignoring the game that utterly confounded her.

"He wants to be just like his father." Katara sighed.

"It kills you doesn't it?" Toph's smirked, nearly tempting Katara to smack her.

"A little, yeah. He of course is the only one who ended up with Aang's hair and he's determined to be a little monk."

"Maybe one day, Katara." The wife of the Avatar snorted before gesturing to the game going on before them.

"Do you have any idea what they're doing?"

"Nope. I figured you would know."

"Nope." The two women stood in silence for several minutes until they were finally noticed.

"Momma!"

"Aunt Toph!" Three bodies hurtled across the courtyard while Kya calmly approached. Tenzin wrapped himself around Katara's leg while Bumi and Lin fought over Toph.

"I was here first!"

"Well, I'm older."

"She's _my _momma."

"Yeah, you get to see her all the time so I should get to hug her first." Bumi and Lin struggled against each other, trying to have more of Toph than the other in their arms. The mothers shared an amused a glance. Toph crouched down and hugged both of the children vying for her attention, picking her daughter up when finished and patting Bumi on the head. Lin stuck her tongue out at her "cousin" as she ascended.

"Mommy, Bumi and Kya were mean to me. They made me be in the middle." Katara held back a sigh, stroking her son's head.

"You're such a momma's boy, Tenzin." Kya glared at her tattle-tale brother.

"Yeah! You're such a momma's boy." Katara raised an eyebrow at her eldest son.

"And you're not, Bumi?" The twelve year old attempted to look defiant before breaking and clinging to his mother's other leg.

"I love you Mommy."

"Mhm. That's what I thought." Nine year old Kya rolled her eyes before hugging her aunt and quickly departing. Bumi followed soon after.

"Do you plan on staying Toph?" Tenzin looked up at his aunt after his mother finished speaking.

"Not this time, Sugar Queen. Thought the little badger mole and I could spend some time on our own, some Beifong bonding and what not." Katara smiled at her friend.

"I understand. You guys have fun." Everyone seemed quite pleased save for the bald six year old clinging to his mother.

"Bye Aunt Toph. Bye Lin." The last farewell appeared to sadden the boy the most. The mothers shared another knowing look.

"Bye Tenzin!" Lin, despite her young age knew Tenzin was distressed and quickly hopped down from her mother's arms to hug her best friend. This brightened the boy up considerably and also tinted his ears a bit red. Lin hugged her aunt and the childhood friends also embraced, one ending up with a rather sore arm. With a final farewell, Toph and her daughter departed, the latter holding tightly to the former's hand.

"So, squirt, what was that game you were playing?" Toph spoke a little after departing the courtyard, a few minutes away from the docks. Lin's entire face lit up, her little body vibrating in the excitement of getting to share her youthful adventures with her favorite person in the world.

"We were playing moose-lion in the middle!"

"Moose-lion…in the middle…" Toph could only shake her head, the antics of her daughter, niece, and nephews utterly baffling to her.

"I just said that! Yes, moose-lion in the middle."

"So, Tenzin was the moose-lion?"

"Mhmm. He was s'pposed to try and get the ball. If it was too easy to catch, then the person who throws it is the new moose-lion and if the person who had to catch it misses or drops it then they are the new moose-lion." Toph's mind was reeling. The game did not make much sense, but at least the kiddo had fun.

"Well, maybe we can play sometime." Toph ruffled her daughter's hair and nearly busted out in laughter when Lin looked back at her and sighed in exasperation, as if she were the adult and Toph the child.

"We need three people to play, Momma."

"Then I'll teach you to play Pai Sho."

"Oh! The tile game?"

"Yes, the tile game." Toph laughed as she picked her daughter up, holding her as they stepped on to the ferry. The short ride to the mainland was filled with Lin regaling her mother on her lessons and the antics of her "cousins."

"And then Bumi-."

"Squirt, you're gonna have to take a breath or we won't be able to eat." Lin quieted immediately at the mention of food, scanning the restaurants lining the streets as she clutched her mother's hand, having demanded to walk after departing the ferry. After several minutes of blissful silence, Lin risked her mother's ire.

"Momma, where are we going to eat?" Toph flushed at Lin's question, having been caught in a rather embarrassing situation. She had passed the stand they usually picked food up from while Lin was telling her about her day. She hadn't noticed until they were well away from it. She had no idea where to eat now. She stopped walking, shifting her feet to take better stock of her surroundings.

"Hmmm. I'm not sure, squirt. I thought we'd try something new though." Toph congratulated herself on her cleverness.

"How about that one!" Lin pulled on her mother's harm with as much force as her tiny body could muster, her gaze locked on a seemingly innocuous restaurant. The curtains hanging in the doorway were bright orange, though, which had drawn Lin's eye. Toph paused for a moment before letting Lin leave, confirming that the tiny place was indeed a restaurant thanks to a couple leaving with boxes universally used for take-out.

Lin entered the delicious smelling eatery first, drawing the attention of the host immediately.

"Young lady-Oh! Chief Bei Fong! What an honor…" The young man was halted in his sickening praise by a gruff Toph.

"Table for two. And get my daughter a crate or something to sit on." The dark haired teen floundered for a bit before seating mother and daughter in what was clearly "prime real estate" in the almost claustrophobic restaurant. Toph wondered why they even bothered with a host. The last Toph had to deal with the humming-fly beating of the host's heart was when he returned with a crate and two menus, where Toph stared the boy down to the point of trembling. He scampered off as quickly as he could with what was supposed to be Toph's menu.

"Momma, what should I get?" Toph, despite her frustration at the idiocy of the host, couldn't help but to smile at her daughter pretending to read the menu.

"How about some fried noodles? And some moon peaches?" Lin nodded eagerly, putting the menu down and sitting up straighter as the server arrived.

"Are you two ladies ready to order?" Toph nodded at Lin, who turned towards the elderly woman.

"Two jasmine teas and two noodle plates with moon peaches, please." The woman smiled sweetly at Lin, writing down the order.

"Your food will be right out." She left, allowing Lin to relax and investigate the eatery from her seat, her eyes scanning the few patrons.

"Good job, Lin." Toph smiled at her daughter, always happy to let her daughter order.

"Thanks, Momma!" Lin grinned, her little body absolutely thrumming with pride. Though they talked a bit, most of the wait for food was filled with a mother-daughter arm wrestling match. The arrival of their food interrupted Lin's attempts to distract her mother with kicks so she could win the match. They didn't speak for a solid ten minutes as they inhaled their food, Lin fighting off her mother's attempts to steal a moon peach.

"Momma! These are the best fried noodles!" Toph was already waving over the old lady to order another round of noodles when her daughter spoke.

"We'll just have to have some more then, huh, kiddo?" The duo proceeded to eat five fried noodle plates together and three bowls of moon peaches. Mother and daughter were forced to waddle slowly from the restaurant, their stomachs full well past normal capacity. Lin fell asleep half way home, carried by Toph. The police chief herself was lucky not to pass out on her way to the house. She plopped down on her and Lin's shared bed without removing her armor, still clutching Lin to her chest. Before finally succumbing to sleep, Toph heard her daughter whisper.

"Those really were the best noodles, Momma." The hero fell asleep with a smile on her face.

Toph decided that something nefarious was in those noodles. She and Lin just could not stay away. They ate there for a week straight after what Toph decided to call The Day. Eventually, they managed to restrict their heaven on earth eating experiences to once a week. The closet like closeness of the restaurant had even begun to grow on Toph. After a month, Toph finally found out the name of her and her daughter's new favorite place to eat: Yang Hi's, named for Ling's late husband. Toph and Lin were never served by anyone other than Ling and only Lin ever ordered their food.

Yang Hi's became a site of many important events in the Bei Fong family. From The Day on, every one of Lin's birthdays was celebrated in the beloved restaurant. One night at dinner was also witness to Toph's realization that they'd be able to play moose-lion in the middle in a few months time.


End file.
